


When the timing comes around (I'll be brave)

by punkjuggie



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Alex Manes, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Michael is in trouble but the scoobygang is here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:17:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21838795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkjuggie/pseuds/punkjuggie
Summary: Michael's been MIA for two days now; Alex starts to worry.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 6
Kudos: 117





	When the timing comes around (I'll be brave)

**Author's Note:**

> This is for a tumblr prompt that's been collecting dust in my inbox for almost a year now (I'm the worst, I know, let's move past it). But now that I have a shiny new degree, no more classes to attend and nothing but time on my hands, I figured I'd give it a try. You can always come say hi, I'm softguerin on tumblr.
> 
> Trigger warning: An asshole character use a slur to describe a disabled character.

**17:00**

“What do you mean ‘ _you can’t find Michael_ ’?” Alex asks, an edge of panic rising in his voice. “This is Roswell, not New York fucking City.”

Max and Isobel are standing on his front porch, and while Max appears to be worried, almost vibrating out of his skin with dark bags under his eyes, Isobel mostly just looks pissed.

“I’m sorry Alex, were we supposed to plant a tracking chip in our brother like he’s a wandering dog?” She asks with an unkind smile, and if he didn’t know her better, he’d think she was trying to burn holes in his body.

Alex sighs loudly, squeezing his eyes shut and raking a hand through his hair, trying to come up with something, _anything_. “You can get in people’s mind,” he says after a moment, turning back to Isobel. “Can’t you just go through his mind, and find out where he is?”

Isobel clicks her tongue and smirks. “Oh, shucks, why didn’t I think of that before? Oh right, because I’m not a GPS tracker.”

“Iz…” Max says, and Alex guesses it’s supposed to be a warning but it only makes Isobel more furious.

“Max! He’s basically blaming us for Michael’s disappearance when he’s most probably the last one to have seen him.”

“Nobody’s blaming anyone,” Max says, trying to defuse the situation. “How long has it been since you last saw Michael?”

Alex doesn’t even have to think. He’s been replaying the last two days on a loop in his mind. Michael, Monday morning, getting out of bed early, way earlier than he usually does. Michael making pancakes in Alex’s tiny rundown kitchen, wearing nothing but his loose gray boxer and one fuzzy purple sock. Michael, kissing Alex goodbye, his mouth tasting of sweet maple syrup. Michael, telling him he’d be working on the ranch all day and running errands later that night. Michael, saying not to wait up for him. Michael, kissing him again, once against his cheek, once more against his lips.

Then radio silence, all through Tuesday and now Wednesday.

“Two days,” Alex says. “He left on Monday morning and then nothing.”

“Ok,” Max nods, his voice tight. He turns around, lifts his hat to run a hand through his hair and looks back at Alex. “Ok. Have you tried anything to find him?”

“Other than calling us?” Isobel adds. Max gives her a look, but doesn’t otherwise reprimand her.

Alex swallows and nods. “Yeah,” he opens the door wider and goes into the cabin, to the little nook in his living room he turned into an office and sits down in front of the computer. “I put a tracker in his phone, right? But not just a normal app, something a little more… sophisticated.”

“Yeah, that’s not psycho possessive at all,” Isobel mumbles but Alex decides to ignore her.

Alex had been a little shaken up after discovering that the man he’s been in love with for the past 10 years was secretly an alien living among them. Even now, the thought of it sounds completely surreal but Alex had rolled with it and nodded along to Michael’s story. It didn’t take long for Alex’s instincts to kick in, though, and he came up with multiple worst-case scenarios where Michael was discovered by the authorities, or the military or worse – his dad. Alex had to take precautions but he’d hoped to never have to use them. So much for wishful thinking.

“About 20 years ago, the military purchased a bunch of satellites, mostly used for global positioning, but they only made a couple of them available for the general public, which is what we use for our phones’ GPS for example,” Alex explains, entering his credentials and starting up the program.

“So we’re only getting a certain range depending on the number of satellites available to use,” Max says, making sense of where Alex is going with this.

“Exactly. But with a larger number of satellites, we get a more precise and up-to-date location because there are more satellites to bounce back the information.”

“Ok, so why does it keep saying, ‘ _signal cannot be detected_ ’?” Isobel asks, referring to the green letters blinking on Alex’s screen.

“My best guess was that Michael was being held in a military base. As far as I know, the only technology that can interfere with a military grade signal is military itself.”

Isobel shrugs. “Alright, so let’s raid a couple military buildings.”

Alex chuckles, entirely unamused. “I’ve got this covered. I called up every base within the perimeter of the signal, asked if we had any prisoner that fits Michael’s description and turned up nothing.”

He doesn’t add the part where most officers were suspicious of Alex’s demand and his motives, and so Alex had to resort to using his dad’s influence to get what he wanted. Alex wasn’t proud of it, but the result was that Alex was actually getting intel that he could trust.

“The only other logical explanation is that he’s being held in an abandoned, underground facility or he’s somewhere in outer space,” Alex swivels around to find Isobel and Max sharing a look, their faces having gone pale. “What? What is it?”

“I think I know where Michael’s been holed up,” Max declares and Alex notices how stiff his movements have become. His face has gone taut, still too pale, but there is a glint in his eyes that Alex wants to interpret as hope and determination.

“Max, we don’t know–”

“It’s the only place,” Max interrupts her. “Come on, let’s go.”

**18:00**

When they get to the scrapyard, Liz and Kyle are already waiting for them.

“I called reinforcements,” is Max’s only explanation and Alex doesn’t question it. It seems to be an all hands on deck situation and Alex will take any help he can at this point. Still, he smiles back gratefully at Max.

“We moved the trailer like you asked,” Kyle says as a greeting, getting out of the passenger side of the pickup truck.

“ _No manches_ ,” Liz replies, grinning as she slams the driver’s door. “ _We_ moved the trailer? Remind me what you did except doubt me and cry that the chain was gonna break?”

Kyle waves her off. “Semantics,” he says and grins when Liz shoves him aside. “So what’s up with the Scooby Gang?”

Alex could answer, but he’s buzzing with anxious energy, his mind reeling with all the different ways Michael could be in trouble at the moment. Thankfully, Max goes straight to the point: “Michael’s been missing for two days.”

Liz frowns at that. Kyle simply arches an eyebrow. “Yeah, but it’s Michael. Are we sure he’s not just sleeping off a hangover under the bar at the Wild Pony?”

Alex clenches his fist, his anxiety quickly giving way to irritation but Liz is the one who answers Kyle, shaking her head. “No, Maria mentioned that she hadn’t seen Guerin at the Pony in a while. Definitely not in the last two days.”

“We have reasons to think he’s being held in an unused military facility,” Alex explains, once he’s regained some of this composure.

“And we think we know where to find it,” Isobel announces.

Max grabs hold of the manhole cover usually hidden by Michael’s trailer and lifts it, propping it up against the ground. “Ladies first.” Liz climbs down, quickly followed by Isobel, Kyle and then Alex, Max right behind him.

The first thing Alex notices is how dark the room is and dusty. He coughs a few times, suddenly reminded of the sweltering Iraq heat and the sand that would get everywhere, how the taste would stay in his mouth after a few weeks in the desert. His lungs quickly adjust.

“Had I known, I would’ve brought masks,” Kyle says once he’s on solid ground. “There could be mold or mildew in here. Try not to breathe through your mouth as much as possible.”

“You’ll be fine,” Max says when he’s in, and turns on the lights.

Alex realizes that they’re standing in what is probably an old Cold War bunker that Michael turned into a lair filled with alien artifacts. Without thinking, Alex runs a hand over the schematics lying on the table, his eyes roaming over the vials full of unknown liquids and the equations on the wall. At the end of the table, his eye catches the several pieces of what seems to be glass, the colours shifting ethereally in a familiar way. Alex takes a closer step, blinking rapidly as if he expects the image in front of him to disappear. It’s real, though, Alex knows this much. These are the same as the strange object he found in the wall of his cabin. He’s Michael’s missing piece.

“Here,” Max’s voice on the other side of the room cuts through the white noise in Alex’s head, brings him back to the present. Max has pulled down a map that shows all the military bases in Roswell and beyond, around New Mexico. Most of them Alex recognizes but the ones circled with a red X, those Alex has no recollection of their existence.

“Michael has been investigating top secrets and abandoned facilities to get whatever information he could find about our… species,” Max explains, wincing at the wording. “That’s the latest one he found,” Max points to the only circled location not to bear an X. “He refers to it as Trinity. I think this is where we’ll find him.”

Alex nods. “Ok. We need to find him _tonight_.”

“Alex, it’s almost two hours away, by the time we get there it’ll be dark and we don’t have a precise location,” Kyle points out but Alex shakes his head.

“It’s already been two days,” his voice wavers, almost pleading. He doesn’t say out loud what he’s actually thinking, a constant stream of _he could’ve been badly injured_ or _he might already be dead_. He tries to push those thoughts to the back of his head but then all he thinks is _I should have kissed him one more time_ and that’s almost worst. “We can’t waste any more time.”

Isobel sighs. “Alex is right. We need to get him out of there.” Liz nods along.

“Ok so what do we need?”

“I’ve got gear back home that should help us locate the base pretty easily,” Alex speaks up and everybody nods sternly, looking expectantly at him. It’s almost like being back in Iraq, Alex thinks. Combat search and rescue, the usual. Except the stakes have never been higher. “And Kyle, you should bring a med kit.”

Alex doesn’t miss the way Isobel slightly flinches. “Just in case,” he adds.

“Copy that.”

Alex nods. “Ok. Let’s all meet at my place at 19:00 sharp.”

Combat search and rescue. It’s been done a thousand times.

“Don’t be late.”

**22:00**

They’ve been walking through endless hallways for what feels like forever and Alex is growing more and more restless. Max, walking beside him, doesn’t seem to be doing much better. He’s clearly on edge, a little jumpy, but his eyes are focused as if determined that they’ll find Michael and get him out of there. Alex starts to have his doubts.

“What if this isn’t it?” Alex murmurs, letting his unease get the best of time. Max is unshakeable though as he shakes his head.

“No, this has to be it,” he says and Alex has to believe him.

They continue to make their way through the long, empty hallway in silence. Alex is not picking up any other heat signatures than his and Max’s. They go through yet another hallway. They let the silence build. Alex tries to imagine Michael in here, confined by these dark, damp walls and the thought alone is enough to ignite more anger inside of him, pushes him to keep looking.

The walkie-talkie buzzes in Max’s hand, and through the infrared goggles, Alex can see how it made Max jump. He doesn’t comment on it.

“Guys, we’re in Wing G,” Kyle’s voice rises through the static. “Isobel thinks she’s picking up something. Over.”

Alex nods to Max and Max raises the walkie-talkie to his mouth. “We’re on our way. Stay where you are. Over.”

Max and Alex give each other a look but don’t otherwise say anything as they quickly make their way through the maze of hallways to where Kyle, Liz and Isobel are waiting for them. When they get there, Isobel is sitting up against the wall, her eyes screwed shut with Kyle crouched next to her. Immediately, Max joins them on her other side, carefully smoothing the frown lines between Isobel’s eyebrows.

“What is it Iz?” he asks, squeezing her hand.

Isobel shakes her head but doesn’t open her eyes. “He’s here, I can feel it but,” she trails off, as if out of breath.

“Where is he?” Alex asks and he’s surprised at how calm his voice comes out, the complete opposite of what he’s feeling inside.

“He’s here but it’s,” she cuts herself off again, curling on herself as Max softly runs a hand through her hair. “It’s so faint, but it’s here.”

“Faint?” Liz asks but Isobel doesn’t have time to elaborate as Alex’s alarm on his tablet goes off, the piercing sound echoing through the mostly empty room. “Jesus Alex, what _is_ that?”

Alex turns off the alarm but pinpoint the source of the trigger. “Sudden massive power surge,” he explains, still tapping on his tablet. At first glance, it seems like the power surge happened right where they are standing, leaving Alex confused. He looks up, scanning the room until he finds what he’s looking for. A subtle, indistinct line on the ground, disappearing under the dusty carpet pushed against the far wall. “Right beneath us.”

He crosses the room and pulls the carpet, revealing a concealed trap door leading into the basement.

“It’s gotta be there,” Isobel murmurs, still weak from exertion, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead.

“Kyle, Liz, stay up there and keep an eye on Isobel,” Alex says and Max waits for Liz to take his place next to his sister before standing up and following Alex down the creaky wooden stairs.

There is a constant beeping sound, but not enough lighting to distinguish anything and Alex and Max move quietly around the room. They reach a couple rows of bookshelves when a voice stops them straight in their tracks.

“A disgraced deputy and a crippled walk into a lab… it feels like there’s a joke in there somewhere.”

Alex’s blood runs cold, but still he stands up straight, his jaw clenched painfully, and makes his way to where his father is waiting for them. Sergeant Manes’ face splits into a mean, sharp smile, the way a shark would look at a fish before eating it alive. Alex’s focus isn’t on his father, though; Michael is there, lying on a gurney with a strap across his chest, looking pale but definitely _alive_. 

Alex swallows around the lump in his throat as he tears his eyes away from Michael to look back at his dad. “What is this?”

“Oh, this?” he replies, pointing at an unconscious Michael and raising an eyebrow. “Just a little… experiment.”

Alex can feel Max trembling with rage next to him and he only hopes he doesn’t plan on doing something stupid and impulsive.

“What did you do to him?” Alex asks, his heart pounding in his ears but trying not to let the panic seep in his voice.

Sergeant Manes sighs. “Well, first, I had to calm him down. He’s a feisty one, that’s for sure. He loved to swing those bookshelves around, and while that was entertaining, it became a hazard to my work environment.” He stands up, opens a drawer and pulls out a little vial, drawing a sharp intake of breath out of Max. “Thankfully, your friend came up with this nifty little solution. I’m afraid our friend has become a little unresponsive, though,” he continues, walking over to Michael and cupping his face to move it from one side, then the other. “He’s not as much fun to play with now. But look,” he raises his head to fix his cold eyes on Max. “You brought me another friend. How thoughtful.”

It happens quickly. One second, Sergeant is taking a step towards them, his hand going at his waist to unholster his gun and smash it against Max’s temple. Max stumbles backward and Alex moves to come up between his father and Max. The next second, he’s sprawled out on the floor, Liz panting heavily as he lets a lead pipe fall out of her grip. “Your dad talks a lot,” she says to Alex and then goes straight to Max, falls to her knees next to him. “Are you ok?”

There’s a nasty cut on the side of Max’s head, blood falling down his cheek but he waves them away. “I’m fine,” he says, and then, “Michael?”

“He needs the antidote,” Liz tells Alex, not moving from Max’s side. “We need to get him to my lab.”

“We’re two hours away!” Alex says, his voice shaking, the pit in his stomach quickly bubbling up to the surface.

“Well, drive fast! We’ll put him with Kyle in the backseat so he can check on his vital and keep him alive,” Liz says, dragging Max up and letting him slump against her. “Michael’s gonna be alright Alex. Come on.”

Alex takes a deep breath as he unstraps Michael and takes him in his arms.

They’re gonna be alright. They just need to drive fast.

**02:00**

It’s the middle of the night when Michael finally wakes up in Roswell Community Medical. Alex is in a chair next to his bed, fully alert. He’s been like this for the past two hours, despite Liz and Kyle’s reassurances that everything was going to be fine.

“He won’t wake up right away because he’s drained of all energy,” Liz had explained when Alex had asked her why Michael was still unconscious after receiving the antidote. “You should rest too.”

Except Alex hadn’t been able to sleep, hadn’t been able to look away from Michael once they got him back and Liz knew this and convinced Kyle to let Alex stay despite visiting hours being over.

And now the sheets are rustling and Michael is slowly opening his eyes and Alex feels as though his heart is about to jump out of his throat.

“Alex?” Michael murmurs, his voice scratchy and Alex grabs the glass of water on Michael’s table.

“Here, drink this,” he says and lifts the plastic cup carefully to Michael’s lips, a wave of relief washing over him as he watches something as mundane as Michael drinking water. Once the cup is empty, Alex set it down back on the bedside table and turns back to Michael, not daring to take his eyes away from him for too long. “You really scared me.”

“I know,” Michael says, and even though he still looks too tired, Alex can also tell how sincere he is. “I’m sorry.”

Alex shakes his head. “Don’t apologize,” he says softly, hand coming up to stroke Michael’s cheek.

“I shouldn’t have kept it from you,” Michael continues and for a moment, Alex is confused until he remembers the bunker and the glowing pieces of glass.

“Everybody has secrets,” Alex says and for a second, an image of his own piece of alien glasses flashes behind his eyes. He should tell him, he’ll know eventually, but for now it can wait. “What I don’t understand is why you still sleep in your piece of junk when you have a beautiful post-war bunker right underneath.”

Michael grins, his eyes lidded and Alex thinks he should really let him go back to sleep. “Because I wouldn’t have a good excuse to shack up with you in your rustic cabin,” Michael says and Alex rolls his eyes, unable to ignore how fond he is of the man in front of him.

“Go back to sleep,” Alex tells him, moving his hand from his face to his curly hair. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“You know, I just don’t sleep as well anymore without you next to me,” Michael says, sheepish and Alex knows that Michael knows exactly what he is doing. It should probably be scary how well someone else knows his weak spots. It makes him vulnerable.

Alex finds that he doesn’t care much.

“Scoot over, you giant baby,” he says and Michael obliges with a low giggle that fills Alex’s chest with warmth. “You’d better not steal the blanket this time.”  
  


Michael sighs as he relaxes against Alex, quickly drifting back to sleep. “Anything for you Alex.”

And Alex closes his eyes, pressed against Michael, letting himself relax for the first time in days. He doesn’t know if he says it out loud or if it’s just in his head, but Alex doesn’t care either way. “Anything for you Michael.”


End file.
